Gwangyang City Presents Activation Measures to Prepare for the New Normal Tourism Market

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Gwangyang City has announced a post-COVID-19 plan to revitalize tourism in Gwangyang, preparing for a new normal tourism market that will be completely different from the pre-pandemic era.

The city revealed on the 29th that it has included various planned events and promotional marketing strategies aimed at injecting vitality into the long-stagnant Gwangyang tourism sector and fostering it as a sustainable tourist city, targeting May 6, when social distancing measures are expected to be eased.

Under the tourism slogan "Gwangyang Travel that Shines Day and Night," the city has developed engaging storytelling such as "10 Reasons to Visit Gwangyang" and plans to expand tourism products including city tours, metropolitan buses, and Korail connections.

Additionally, anticipating that overseas travel will temporarily shift to domestic travel and that contactless (untact) travel seeking wellness in pristine nature rather than crowded places will gain attention, local travel products such as "Traveling in Gwangyang for a Month" and the "Namdo Bicycle Road" will also be operated.

This summer, when the landscape lighting at Sunshine Beach Park?expected to serve as a catalyst for tourism development projects like Haevichi?is completed, a completion ceremony along with special events such as light shows and celebratory performances will be held to bring joy to citizens and tourists weary from COVID-19.

The Sunlight Gwangyang City Tour will add a volunteer tour program, relax conditions to operate with reservations of 10 or more on weekdays and 5 or more on weekends, and expand incentives for attracting group tourists.

As part of the Namdo Coastal Road project in the 6th region of Korea’s Top 10 Themed Travel Destinations, the city will develop gourmet tourism products that combine food and local tourism and publish related gourmet tourism guidebooks. Targeting the millennial generation who value emotion and experience, wellness tourism products will be offered at wellness-designated sites such as Neuraengigol Natural Recreation Forest and Baegunsan Natural Recreation Forest, where visitors can experience healing, lodging, and food all together.

The city will promote new expanded resources such as Haeoreum Overpass and the taste of Gwangyang, including Gwangyang Bulgogi, through impactful TV advertisements, and launch aggressive promotions using various media including advertisements at multi-use facilities like Suncheon Station, Songjeong Station, and movie theaters, as well as SNS. Furthermore, it will conduct fam tours and tourism briefings for YouTubers and influencers, operate mobile tourist information centers (vehicles), participate in tourism fairs, and carry out various themed events to promote tourism through viral marketing.

Based on the confirmed Gwangyang tourism slogan, an integrated design (BI) will be developed by mid-next month, focusing on spreading the image of the tourist city through various media such as promotional materials and videos, and strengthening a customized tourism acceptance system in anticipation of increased domestic travel interest.

The city will promptly complete the Sunshine Tourism Collaboration Center and promote the establishment of the Gwangyang City Tourism Council, while building tourism governance by fostering community-based tourism businesses and actively supporting consulting for tourism-related projects.

Moreover, it will create a pleasant tourism environment by expanding inspections of major tourist facilities, thoroughly maintaining tourist information signs, and renewing tourist brochures, while conducting tourist satisfaction monitoring to promote qualitative growth and repeat visits to Gwangyang tourism.

Key tourism infrastructure projects such as the Yi Sun-sin Bridge Beach Tourism Theme Street project, restoration of the Seomjin River waterway, and establishment of water leisure facilities will also be accelerated. In particular, through Gwangyang’s abundant nighttime tourism resources?including Gubongsan Observatory, Neuraengigol Natural Recreation Forest, Haedalbyeol Observatory, and Haevichi’s nighttime landscape lighting, all selected as part of the Korea Tourism Organization’s “Top 100 Night Tourism” destinations?the city plans to increase overnight tourists who enjoy Gwangyang’s nights.

Mayor Jeong Hyun-bok of Gwangyang said, “Tourism will be completely different after COVID-19,” adding, “As overseas travel is replaced by domestic travel and local travel that is nature-friendly rather than crowded places becomes a trend, Gwangyang will emerge as a new local tourism city for healing and relaxation.”

He also added, “We will strengthen the connection between day and night tourism resources and continuously operate differentiated content and programs to offer rest to people exhausted by COVID-19, while recovering the stagnant tourism market to revitalize the local economy.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.